"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." - Robert A. Heinlein

Monday, January 16, 2006

There seems to be a lot of post-Macworld gossip & water-cooler talk about whether or not the new Intel-based Macs will run Windows (some say no, some say Vista only, some say Vista or XP).

Let me first qualify my comments by saying this: I have no idea, I am talking out of my.... well, suffice it to say it's sheer conjecture.

OK, that being said... A couple thoughts:

First off, why has no one tried it? Lots of machines around Apple, probably a couple around Intel, and maybe a few in the hands of some software vendors. Not one leak somewhere? Surprising.

Secondly, and most importantly, why is everyone focusing on whether or not it's *technically* feasible? Instead they should be asking "What would you do if you were Steve Jobs?"

The answer of course, is "I'd mix up the wardrobe a bit, fer gawdsakes!" but after that, the answer I come up with is "I'd prevent Macs from running other operating systems.

I could of course be wrong, but Apple seems to me to have The Vertical Model firmly entrenched in their DNA. The few instances of their software running on other systems (iTunes for the PC; Quicktime for the PC) are paths toward critical mass for those apps, and aimed at drawing consumers into their vertical universe (iTunes on PC as a path toward getting people to buy iPods; Quicktime on PC as a path to getting content producers to produce on Macs with Quicktime - and to get iTunes installed on consumer machines).

One advantage MacOS has over Windows, according to pundits anyway, is "sexier machines". Would Steve Jobs want to give up this bullet point, whether or not there are others?

So while it might be technically feasible - and indeed even if not, it might be hacked into submission by a kid in scandinavia eventually - I just can't imagine Mr Jobs would want it to happen.